I can't speak for anyone else when it comes to the what/why/when/how they build, and I won't try to. I won't presume to tell anyone else how to build their models, or why they should. I will tell anyone who listens that they can do whatever they put their mind to--an answer to the proclamation,"I could never do that!" Yes, you can. It isn't difficult to do--back in the day, we experimented with techniques, products, and materials until we happened upon something that worked. Later on, as clubs gained in popularity, you could ask the other members. Now, with the Interwebs, you can post the same question to a few dozen forums and get hundreds--if not thousands--of answers within an hour.
As for me, I fall into several of the loose groups of "categories" that modelers tend to get dumped into these days. Most of the time, I'm a casual builder, building models largely out of the box to suit one person--me. Usually, the model is anticlimactic--as Deep Purple said it in "Knockin' At Your Back Door", "It's not the kill / It's the thrill of the chase." The meat of the project is the research for almost all of my projects. Sometimes, the research will be brief, but I will find something that interests me--unusual paint scheme, interesting history--and take it from there. Sure, there are the times when I'll pick up a kit and have at it. Even then, though, I do manage to do a quick bit of research on the subject.
From time to time, I'll get involved in a project that requires more research than others--and these projects usually involve a limited-run kit. Some of the earlier efforts lacked details and the only way you could discover them was to look at photos. Some examples include Special Hobby's 1/48 Ju-87A kit where you were instructed to add some details in the cockpit. The instructions weren't clear on what and where, so I had to source some photos to help in the additions. Digging for the information was a bit of a challenge, since it wasn't exactly thick on the ground. I haven't done a web search, but I'll bet there is more information floating around cyberspace now than there was ten years ago.
Another project that I'm in the middle of that has required more research than I usually put into a project is Special Hobby's 1/48 Macchi C.200 kit. While it is better out of the box than their Stuka was (the benefit of four or five years experience on their part), there are still areas that come up a bit short. The details are better, for sure, but I didn't like their method of attaching the main gear struts. There was a shallow dimple in the upper wing and a small pimple on the top of the struts, which in this kit were a bit on the oval side. Even if they managed to be round, I knew that the gear attachment wouldn't hold up for a minute. So, I did what I thought would make a stronger landing gear system--and, in effect, rebuilt 99% of it as well as add missing details. Some photos of the gear well:
Here's the left side, unmodified--see the dimple?
And the right side--notice the strut well liner (not quite complete) and gear trunnion with a moutning hole for the new strut made from scrap sprue
You'll notice that the added detail isn't superdetailing by any stretch--it is merely adding bits and bobs until the end effect approaches what I see in photos of the 1:1. I don't try to represent every hose, harness, line, fitting, and connector--but I have great respect for those modelers who do. A friend said to me, "I could never do that.", to which I answered "Yes, you can. All it took was some basic materials and time." Sorry, I can't locate the strut photos right now, but they were rebuilt using aluminum tubing and paper that had been saturated with CA (aka Super Glue)--when the CA cures, you're left with a thin, flexible material similar to plastic. The only parts of the struts I kept were the fork castings. It took maybe an hour for each strut, and the wells took an hour each. Nothing difficult about that--Chef Martin Yan used to sign off on his shows with his signature, "If Yan can cook, so can you." Well, If I can do the detailing work, so can you. I'm no modeling God...
Back when I first started surfing the Web, I made the acquaintance of Al Supercynzski. His signature was "Build what YOU like, the way YOU want to...and the critics will flame you every time!" I can think of no wiser words when it comes to modeling. Each one of us derives our own satisfaction, enjoyment, or compensation from the hobby in our own way. Build your models to the best of your ability. There's more than enough room for all of us. Al's gone now, but his words live on...
Thanks for reading. Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.
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